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Unit of study_
PSYC2016: Perception, Cognition, and Intelligence
2026 unit information
In this unit of study, you will study three of the core topics of Psychology: Perception, Cognition, and Intelligence. Our sensory systems generate our experience of our bodies and what exists in the world. In the perception component, you will learn how our sensory systems influence our ability to act in the world and the conditions and consequences of perceptual errors. The cognition component of the course will focus on the theoretical and methodological issues that arise in how we attend to, remember, think, problem solve, and make decisions, and consider the consequences of how biases and heuristics influence our choices. The intelligence component will explore the historical evolution of the concept of intelligence, issues in its measurement, the relationship to concepts of creativity, emotional intelligence, and the influence of the environment. You will participate in inquiry-led tutorials that will reinforce and expand on concepts in the unit, and develop broad thinking skills to relate evidence to rational arguments and choices that can be applied to any problem solving domain.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Science
| Study level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Psychology Academic Operations |
| Credit points | 6 |
|
Prerequisites:
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PSYC1002 |
|---|---|
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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PSYC2013 or PSYC2014 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. understand the 3 core areas of psychology taught in this course: perception, cognition, and intelligence
- LO2. understand the quantitative and statistical methods involved in perception, cognition and intelligence, and analyse and contrast their appropriateness for studying the core content in each domain
- LO3. understand APA style communication and use it to read research papers and create a research report
- LO4. examine and question the appropriateness and validity of findings from perception, cognition and intelligence as they apply to diverse groups
- LO5. appreciate how much of the core content of perception, cognition and intelligence plays a role in your personal and professional identity and wider public policy
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2026
|
Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.